Finally some good news last week regarding the shuttered Wyndham Milwaukee Airport Hotel and Convention Center. The property was acquired by a Los Angeles company with plans to open an off-site airport parking service on the site and find an operator to run the hotel. The 54-year-old hotel, the second-largest in the city of Milwaukee, closed recently after it was taken over by its lender, Wachovia Bank Commercial Mortgage Trust. The aging hotel had fallen into a state of disrepair, according to the foreclosure suit Wachovia filed against the previous owner.

UP

As Milwaukee-area businesses continue to struggle with the dwindling number of direct flights out of General Mitchell International Airport, it was good to hear that Southwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines executives have been meeting with southeastern Wisconsin companies to learn about their travel needs. Southwest now has about 50 percent of the market share at Mitchell if AirTran Airways is included, and Atlanta-based Delta has been adding flights to New York and Atlanta. Let’s hope both airlines consider adding flights to give business travelers more options.

DOWN

The ongoing battle between Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele and County Board leadership continued last week as The Business Journal broke the news that Brian Taffora, the county’s economic development director, will be laid off Dec. 28. The 2013 county budget eliminated Taffora’s position, forcing his firing and requiring him to return to the County Board for approval to remain the county’s lead development official. Supervisors made the move to force Taffora to re-apply for the job due to concerns about his home in Cedarburg, which violates the county’s residency requirement.

Mark Kass is the editor-in-chief of the Milwaukee Business Journal.

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